Pritam Singh Backs 9% Ministerial Pay Rise but Rejects Formula Behind New Benchmark

Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh has supported the Government's decision to raise ministerial salaries by no more than 9 per cent for now, describing it as a "more sober approach" than immediately adopting the full salary benchmark recommended by an independent committee.

The committee had proposed raising the reference annual salary for an entry-level minister from $1.1 million to $1.8 million, an increase of about 64 per cent.

However, ministers will not receive the full amount immediately.

They will first receive an adjustment of up to 9 per cent, with most ministers at the entry-level MR4 grade expected to earn about $1.35 million by the end of the current government term.

Mr Singh asked Prime Minister Lawrence Wong whether this meant there would be no further general pay increases after the initial adjustment, and whether subsequent increases would depend solely on each minister's performance and responsibilities.

While supporting the limited increase, Mr Singh stressed that the WP still disagreed with the formula used to calculate ministerial salaries.

The current framework derives the benchmark from the median income of Singapore's top 1,000 earners, after applying a discount for public service.

The WP instead wants ministers' salaries pegged to a multiple of an MP's allowance, which would itself be linked to the salary of a senior public-sector appointment holder.

Mr Singh said this would provide the public with a clearer reference point and produce more modest increases over time.

The WP separately supports raising MPs' monthly allowances from $13,750 to $18,500 because they have not been adjusted for 15 years and inflation has reduced their value.

However, Mr Singh rejected the suggestion that higher MP allowances were what enabled the WP to attract strong candidates.

He said people contesting under the WP banner were motivated by their belief in a more balanced political system, not by the prospect of receiving an MP's allowance.